


That Day of February

by abrosuna



Category: Sengoku Basara
Genre: Alternative Universe - High School AU, Alternative Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, implied Hideyoshi/Hanbei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrosuna/pseuds/abrosuna
Summary: The day he started wondering why his heart was beating so fast for no apparent reason.





	That Day of February

He fell in love on an ugly day of February. He chose it later on, when he thought about pinpointing a specific moment and decided that it had to be that day, even though at the time he had no idea, of course. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the person he fell for, nor it was like he noticed something new that made him see his friend under a different, more endearing light. It was simply the day he started wondering why his heart was beating so fast for no apparent reason.

He couldn’t say if it was his first time falling in love; he was seventeen, and he had never been particularly concerned about romance. He had found himself more or less attracted to other people in the previous years – however he had never brought himself to question whether it was simple, unadulterated admiration rather than what people call a crush. He wasn’t even interested in finding out, thus he never did. This is why that day was so special: for the first time, he realised that he cared. It wasn’t a doubt he could cast away, he needed, he _wanted_ an answer. That was the day he started wondering, and since then he had found it hard to get the thought out of his mind.

Rain had been pouring down since the early morning, and the air was cold. An idle wind blew, now and then raising its voice and making people pull their scarves up to their noses. Mitsunari was walking steadily, one hand in the warm pocket of his jacket while the other bravely defied the cold to hold the umbrella. He was returning home after having been to the bookstore, where he’d looked for a gift for Hanbei, whose birthday was in a few weeks. The bus stop wasn’t too far away, and the bus he had to take wouldn’t have arrived before fifteen minutes, there was no real need to rush; he simply hated walking in the rain, with shoes squishing at every step because of the small puddles on the concrete, impossible to avoid, and the lower half of his trousers that kept getting wetter and wetter, unprotected by the umbrella.

He was in the middle of blaming himself for not having worn gloves before leaving home, when the corner of his eye caught the glimpse of a familiar figure. Mitsunari immediately halted, his brow furrowed as he stared for a moment at the young man sheltering himself under the tent of a shop on the other side of the street. His black hair was damp with the rain and it was heavily hanging over his forehead, thus making it a little difficult to recognise him, but it was definitely Ieyasu. He kept looking around, sending impatient glances at the sky, as if foolishly waiting for the rain to stop.

Mitsunari thought that he didn’t need to cross the street to get to the bus stop. There was no reason to pass by Ieyasu, who didn’t even seem to have noticed him. Mitsunari looked at his school friend again: he must have been walking under the rain for a while, for he was soaking wet. Walking under the rain was awful, Mitsunari thought.

He paced to the closest pedestrian crossing and reached the opposite sidewalk.

«Mitsunari!» Ieyasu’s face brightened up with a wide smile the moment he saw his friend coming towards him.

«What are you doing here?» Mitsunari simply asked, without any greetings. «You should hurry and go home, or wherever you’re going. Unless you’re waiting for someone,» he then added, slightly lifting one eyebrow.

Ieyasu let out a puff of air mixed with a somewhat embarrassed laugh. «Ah, no, I was going home… I wanted to wait for the rain to lessen a little, but it seems it’s not going to happen, huh.»

«Stupid,» Mitsunari snorted, merciless. «Waiting in the cold won’t be any better than getting home soon. And if you really want to wait, at least do so inside some shop.»

«I guess you’re right.»

Why was he smiling like that? He was in no condition to be so happy. Mitsunari really couldn’t understand that guy. He seemed like he was always in a good mood, as if his lips were naturally curved in that warm smile of his, unable to bend otherwise. Sure, like any normal human being he could be serious, he could get angry, he got upset too, but most of the times Mitsunari laid his eyes on him he was smiling. Even when there was no apparent motivation behind it.

«You’re completely soaked,» Mitsunari pointed out, as if it were something that needed to be pointed out. «Why don’t you have your umbrella?»

«It wasn’t raining too hard when I got out, I thought it wouldn’t have been a problem…» Ieyasu replied, averting his gaze for a moment.

«That was careless of you.»

It was no joke, it wasn’t supposed to be funny – but all the same, Ieyasu laughed blissfully.

«I’d better hurry, then,» he finally said, after a few seconds during which he only looked into his friend’s eyes and kept smiling at him, for no reason at all. «See you at school.»

Mitsunari’s bus was supposed to arrive in ten minutes, more or less. Ieyasu’s house was about fifteen minutes from there.

«I’ll walk you home,» Mitsunari said.

Ieyasu opened his eyes wide, unable to hide his surprise. «Really? – I mean, are you sure? I don’t want to make you waste your time if you’re going somewhere else…»

«You don’t have an umbrella. I do. It’s the best option,» the other cut short. «Let’s go.»

He moved forward, in the opposite direction from the one he was going before. Ieyasu hurried to join him, although the bafflement caused by the unexpected offer made him a little clumsy, and thus it took him a moment before he could find a position where he could walk without having his head bumping the umbrella. Mitsunari rolled his eyes, but he had already underlined Ieyasu’s stupidity and he didn’t feel like repeating himself.

It’s not like it was entirely the poor guy’s fault, in any case, because the umbrella wasn’t big enough for two. Luckily Mitsunari was quite slim, making up for the other guy’s rather bulky build, but it was still impossible not to get a little wet, even though they were walking as close to each other as possible – sometimes even _too_ close, Mitsunari noticed, but he understood that it could not be avoided.

«So, uh…» Ieyasu began, while he searched for a pace that could match his friend’s. «Why did you go out with this weather?»

Mitsunari silently glared at him. Was that a genuine question or was Ieyasu mocking him, implying a comparison with his own thoughtless decision to leave his house unprepared? By spending time together, Mitsunari had come to learn that it was usually the first option, for Ieyasu wasn’t the kind of person who found solace in offending other people – and yet at the same time, with that constantly cheerful attitude of his, the first impression was always that it had to be the second one, and Mitsunari wasn’t patient enough to stop and think every single time.

«I went to look for a gift,» he finally replied, going back to looking to the ground, in search for bigger puddles to avoid.

«Today of all days? You must be in a hurry.» That guy really sounded like he was poking fun at him, and, good heart or not, it was incredibly irritating.

«Not at all. I simply had free time in the afternoon, and thought I shouldn’t waste it.» He had a task to accomplish and time to do it: why would the weather change anything? As much as he hated the rain, he had an umbrella to keep himself dry enough, and doing something useful was ten times better than staying home doing nothing.

Ieyasu laughed softly. «This is so you.»

He could barely finish his comment, though, because Mitsunari’s arm slammed on his chest with so much strength as to cut his breath short, making him halt for a moment.

«Puddle,» Mitsunari said, looking down. There was, indeed, a big pool of rainwater right before Ieyasu’s feet.

«Oh. Thank you.»

They walked around it, awkwardly trying to keep at least their heads under the umbrella.

«I’ve been to a classmate of mine’s place,» Ieyasu then spoke after a pause. He knew that his friend would’ve listened even if he hadn’t asked anything. Mitsunari was like that: he didn’t seem one to enjoy small talk, and it was true that he wasn’t exactly much talkative, but as long as the topic wasn’t ridiculously silly or offensive he was a good listener. «He lent me his notes, a few days ago, and he needed them to study today, so I hopped by to give them back. He lives nearby, so I preferred to go on foot instead of waiting for the bus.»

«You had a notebook with you and you didn’t take an umbrella?» Mitsunari sounded harshly displeased. «Does your carelessness have no end?»

Another laugh, this one even brighter.

«I’m not joking, Ieyasu!» Mitsunari snapped, turning his head towards the other.

He definitely wasn’t patient, he had never been; even if he knew that Ieyasu meant no harm and respected him enough not to ever dare to mock him, he couldn’t stand the _impression_ of being mocked much longer, and he easily forgot all his good purposes about repeating to himself that said impression was wrong. Anyhow, laughing at a reproach was disrespectful, whatever the case, and he saw no point in it, and he didn’t like it at all.

On the other hand, Ieyasu was used to this as well: he knew that he shouldn’t push his luck, and that sooner or later Mitsunari would’ve bitten back at one of his apparently light-hearted reactions. He knew it, and he didn’t mind it – or rather, he sure didn’t want to offend his friend, and he was aware that trying to keep his composure more in check would’ve been a good thing, but it wasn’t like there was much to do about it: he just couldn’t avoid being extremely happy when he was with Mitsunari, and he wasn’t good at stopping his emotions from showing on his face, that was his problem.

«Sorry, sorry,» he apologised, trying to paint his smile with regret. «You’re right. Don’t worry, though, I kept it hidden under my jacket,» he explained, patting his own chest.

Mitsunari stared back at him for a moment, before turning his head again with a disdained snort. «That doesn’t change that you should’ve taken the umbrella.»

«Yeah.» This time the laughter was faint and embarrassed, thus Mitsunari decided he could let it go.

With some more chatting – needless to say, mostly coming from Ieyasu – and a few other puddles dodged at the last second, they got to Tokugawa’s house. Half of what they were wearing was drenched, but at least Mitsunari’s hair was safe and Ieyasu was still in better conditions than he would’ve been had he not met his friend.

«Thank you for walking me home,» Ieyasu said, facing the other and giving him a warm smile. «Next time I’ll remember to take my umbrella, I promise.»

«You’d better,» Mitsunari snorted, «because next time I’ll leave you in the rain.»

Ieyasu chuckled again, but he quieted down as soon as he saw Mitsunari’s frown. He kept smiling, though. He always kept smiling, with Mitsunari.

«So… see you at school,» he said, using the same words he had before almost as some kind of joke, since this time it was for real. Or it should have, at least. He should’ve grabbed the keys in his pocket and reached his house’s gate. He should’ve done it quickly not to make his friend wait any longer. All he did instead was stand there, looking into olive green eyes.

He hesitated for a second; then he moved forwards and wrapped his arms around Mitsunari’s back, pulling him close into a hug. «Thank you, Mitsunari,» he all but whispered, the sound of those words shaped after a smile.

Mitsunari was so caught by surprise that he almost let the umbrella slip off his grip. He couldn’t grasp the meaning of that action, and he was so confused that he didn’t manage anything else beside registering disconnected sensations. A cold and wet cheek against his own. Wet hair brushing his temple. Arms firmly holding him. The wind hitting his back. His legs, where the fabric of his trousers had gotten wetter, felt cold. Everything was cold and annoying – but, he noticed somewhat puzzled, he didn’t mind. Not too much, at least. Even odder, he felt something else too, something that, when he thought about it, didn’t fit in the picture at all.

«Don’t mention it,» he uttered. Ieyasu still wouldn’t let go.

That weird sensation was completely out of place, yet no name came to Mitsunari’s mind other than warmth.

He tried to find its source. It couldn’t be the contact with the other guy: body heat couldn’t be shared through so many layer of clothes, and as far as he could perceive no part of Ieyasu was warm, he was freezing – they were both freezing, but despite everything what Mitsunari was feeling, although it was faint and apparently it wasn’t located anywhere more specific than “somewhere inside”, was genuine warmth, there was no mistaking it.

Ieyasu pulled back. His cheeks and nose were all red. It must’ve been the cold.

«See you at school!» he said with the brightest of his smiles, before turning to open the gate and rushing inside.

«You’ve already said that,» Mitsunari replied with a straight face, faintly raising his free hand in a greeting.

Without waiting for the other to get inside, he turned back and headed for the bus stop. He eyed at his watch and quickly concluded that he would’ve arrived in time to catch the next ride home.

He didn’t really want to think about what Ieyasu did, but he didn’t have much of a choice: it had shook him quite a bit. However what frustrated him the most wasn’t the oddness of the act itself (why all of a sudden? Why so much enthusiasm for a simple favour?), no, it was the very fact that he couldn’t avoid replaying the memory in his head, questioning it, _caring so much_ about it, even though it hadn’t been anything more than a mere, meaningless hug. He didn’t like spending too much time musing on something he couldn’t understand, because he considered it a waste of time and, more importantly, not being able to find a solution or a conclusion got him irritated. Then what was so special about this one thing in particular that he couldn’t direct the flow of his thoughts in a different direction for more than a few seconds?

On the bus, he wondered how stupid Ieyasu must have been to act so mindlessly. That wasn’t a situation where people normally hugged, only someone like him could be so impulsive and inconsiderate as to pull a friend into an embrace when rain was pouring down _just_ to thank him. Especially since gratitude could be very well expressed with words only.

When Mitsunari got home, he was trying to decide if he could afford to admit to himself that Ieyasu looked pretty cute with his face red. He groaned, deeming that no, Ieyasu was _not_ cute, and therefore there was nothing to admit.

«Is it you, Mitsunari?» Hanbei’s soft voice came from the living room.

«Yes, I’m back.»

«Welcome home, my dear. Did you buy the notebooks you said you needed?»

«Yes, I got enough of them.» A blatant lie, of course, and Mitsunari hated lying so much that he felt uncomfortable as he spoke, but it was for a just cause. Hanbei wasn’t supposed to know about the gift.

«Do you want to cook dinner together, tonight? We can surprise Hideyoshi when he comes back from work.»

«Sure. It’s a wonderful idea.»

«Splendid. I’ll call you when it’s time, you can relax for a while now.»

«Thank you.»

Mitsunari liked spending time with Hanbei and making little gifts to Hideyoshi. He was really attached to the two men, who had taken him with them since he lost his parents due to the ties they had with the Ishida family; they were so kind and caring with him, and he loved them as his own family, just like they treated him like their own son. The idea of cooking dinner and eating all together made him happy.

He walked up the stairs to get to the bathroom, he took off his soggy clothes and grabbed a towel to quickly dry himself up. He found out he was less damp than he expected to be, but still more than he was willing to bear. Humid cloth felt disgusting against his skin, because it left a thin, invisible layer of water on it even after being removed. He really, really hated walking in the rain. And, he thought, if he was feeling so awful despite having had an umbrella, Ieyasu’s situation must have been even worse. His dark hair was already difficult to keep in place, let alone after being exposed to wind and rain. _Don’t you dare come to school with a cold, tomorrow._

Mitsunari went into his room, wore some clean, warm clothes, and he sat on the edge of his bed, hands lying softly on his legs. His chest felt incredibly heavy, for some reason. He didn’t see why it should: he had spent the afternoon in a prolific way, and he was going to have a nice evening with his family. He reached out to grab a pillow and held it close to his chest, hugging it with both arms and letting his chin rest on it. A good day, really. He had even met a friend, which wasn’t bad. Ieyasu was incredibly annoying, sometimes, but nonetheless he was in the list of people that Mitsunari tolerated, and given that it was a very short list with very few people it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Mitsunari actually liked him and his company. Despite the way their different personalities clashed, they were good friends.

Mitsunari thought about the hug they had shared and he felt heat rise to his face. He remembered how unexpectedly Ieyasu had pulled him into his arms; his heart started racing. At that point he started panicking.

He had absolutely no idea what was happening to him – or rather, he knew what was happening, since he could register all his body’s reactions to that memory, but he saw no explanation, he couldn’t see the connection between the two things. Why was he feeling like that? Why would he have to? It was just a hug. A stupid, unmotivated hug between an idiot and someone who wasn’t expecting such a silly act, but even so just a hug.

He held onto the pillow with a stronger grip, lowering his head. He wondered if there was a chance that Ieyasu would hug him again, some other time, because despite everything he had liked it. He remembered it feeling warm even though they were outside in the cold. It was nice. But that was a ridiculous question, he realised, so he cast it aside with a bit of embarrassment and increasing frustration.

Enough. He couldn’t allow himself to waste his time over something he considered stupid, right? He tossed the pillow aside, got up, and went to fetch the book he was reading for school and he had to finish by the end of the month.

The evening went just as nicely as Mitsunari was hoping. They cooked rice, steamed vegetables, and some salmon, while Hanbei cheerfully told him about some funny things the kids of his class had said in the diary pages they had to write as homework and that he was done checking just a moment before. Mitsunari always thought that teaching at an elementary school was a waste of Hanbei’s incredibly vast knowledge and sharp brains, but he also loved to see how happy he was working with children. It was a job he had chosen, after all, and he was happy with it.

The delicate smell coming from the kitchen washed away Hideyoshi’s tiredness in the moment he set foot in the house, putting him in a serene mood, and he was delighted to find Hanbei and Mitsunari working together to lay the table. Hanbei went to greet him with a kiss on the cheek, and the hint of a smile appeared on Hideyoshi’s lips. Mitsunari had to bite his tongue not to let out a grumble, because for some reason the thought of Ieyasu’s smiling face all red from the cold came to his mind.

That night the wind kept howling outside. There was probably going to be a storm, which would’ve left a strong smell of rain the next morning. Mitsunari continued thinking until he fell asleep. He thought about how he must remember to wear his gloves, the following day, or else he would’ve regretted it again; he thought about the most interesting titles among the books he had seen that day, musing on which one Hanbei could like best; he thought about anything, anything that allowed him to keep Ieyasu out of his head. The persistent memory of that hug, however, wouldn’t go away, as neither did the weight on his heart.

 

Ieyasu was taking both his hands into his own, extremely happy for something Mitsunari had said, apparently. He was so, so happy, so happy that he threw his arms around his friend’s neck with an incredible enthusiasm and pulled him close, squishing their cheeks together. He was laughing, a blissful chuckle that sounded lovely to the ear. He seemed almost unable to contain his happiness, and he held Mitsunari closer, nuzzling his nose against the other’s cheek, all but pressing his lips on it. Ieyasu’s smile was as bright and warm as the sun, and it felt so real. Mitsunari couldn’t bring himself to move a muscle, in a sort of peaceful haze.

Luckily, when Mitsunari woke up, he didn’t immediately remember the dream. He turned the alarm off, got up, washed his face, and went downstairs into the kitchen, still half-asleep. He poured some milk into his bowl of cereals, had breakfast, then he went back upstairs to brush his teeth and get dressed. Before he left, he greeted Hideyoshi and Hanbei, who were getting up right in that moment to go to work. The air outside was even colder than the day before, probably because Mitsunari was coming out of his warm nest. He was wearing both a scarf and a pair of gloves, this time.

The bus arrived on time; he got on, immediately finding a place where to sit, and that was when the images started flowing through his mind in a flash, and he had to look away and cover his mouth with his hand because all of a sudden he felt his face burn.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to point out any mistakes (I hope there aren't too many, haha), and any kind of comment is greatly appreciated!


End file.
